Bonds of Family
by Wishmaker1028
Summary: AU. Takes place after the Dark Moon. Doesn't interact with the Heart series. What happens when King Boo returns, targeting Mario? Can Luigi save his brother? Can their brothership be saved? Please read and review! And always think outside of the box! Edited on DA.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey everyone, Amie here. Sorry about the reconstruction of my profile and fanfictions. But I want to make a strong comeback. I hope to come back with a big crossover in May, hopefully. Anyways, this story was on DeviantArt and I thought to bring it over to fanfiction. And just to let you guys know, this is alternate universe story, set after 'Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon'. So the events on Pi'illo Island have or will not take place. Enjoy!_

* * *

The wind blew quietly through the night, giving a rather creepy howl. But no one seemed to have noticed, everyone was sound asleep. Well, not everyone. Mario Gregory Manfredi Junior, or Super Mario as he was better known to everyone in Mushroom Kingdom, was wide awake. He looked outside and saw that the stars were tickling in the sky. Interestingly enough, there was no moon in the sky. Mario felt a shiver running down his back. _'Funny, I used to look at a moon with no problem three weeks ago and now I'm scared of it,'_ Mario thought.

And it all started on a full moon's night as well. Mario remembered what happened that night...

* * *

-Flashback-

 _Mario was enjoying relaxing for once in his own home. Princess Peach Blossom Toadstool was safe, the Chaos Heart and The Void were gone, and everything was back to normal. The only thing that was bothering Mario was that his baby twin brother, Luigi James Manfredi, seemed more distant than usual. Though Mario didn't blame him after what had happened._ _Mario involuntary shivered whenever he thought of The Green Thunder, Mr. L. 'I never expected for him to be my baby brother. Why didn't I recognize him,' Mario thought, furious at himself for not recognizing Mr. L as Luigi._

 _A sudden cackle sound caught his attention. Mario looked around, igniting his red fire powers._

 _Mario demanded, "Who's there?"_

 _When he heard nothing but silence, he suspected that he was alone. Mario deactivated his powers, but made sure that they were ready to go. He had a feeling that he wasn't exactly alone..._

 _After a few hours and not hearing anything else, Mario finally decided to turn in. He laid down in his red sheeted bed and covered with his red comforter that Luigi got him for last Christmas. Mario closed his eyes as he heard another cackle. Mario bolted his eyes open and floating in front of him was King Boo himself!_

 _Mario breathed, "What the..."_

 _King Boo replied, "Never thought you would see me again, huh, red cap? Well, what can I say? Old habits die hard."_

 _The way he said that, shivers went down Mario's spine but he didn't let it show._

 _Mario questioned, "How'd you get out of that painting?"_

 _King Boo answered, smirking, "Turns out that being in total and complete isolation increased my magic powers. So, I was able to get myself out right under that stupid professor's nose. Strange, though, he wasn't there for me to get but whatever, I'm flexible."_

 _'At least that's some good news,' Mario thought._

 _Mario stated, "You won't have the chance in getting Elvin, I'm stopping you here and now!"_

 _As Mario tried to activate his red fire powers, he saw that two rings of Boos were holding down his arms. Mario struggled but it was no use, the Boos were too strong for him._

 _King Boo smirked even more if that was at all possible and told Mario, "You seriously didn't think I would come prepare for you? Oh, I knew that I was facing a real challenge in you. I'm not afraid of your brother but it seems that you are."_

 _Mario hissed, "I'm not afraid of my brother, you devil."_

 _ **"I beg to differ, sir-jumps-a-lot."**_

=End of flashback-

* * *

Mario sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, taking off his signature red cap. He had to admit, he was scared of the moon. But he couldn't be scared of anything - he was Super Mario. He couldn't be scared. Not now, not ever. He couldn't let anyone know of his fears, not even Princess Peach...or Luigi. After awhile, Mario gave into sleep.

* * *

 _AK1028: Well guys, we're going to leave it there, so you guys can be wanting a bit more. Hope you all enjoyed! I'll return soon with the second chapter! Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Mario couldn't believe his eyes. Standing right there, in front of him, was The Green Thunder. 'But that's impossible, isn't it,' Mario thought, hoping that his baby brother didn't turn into the masked bandit yet again._

 _Mr. L finally spoke and commented, **"Speechless aren't you, sir-jumps-a-lot? Well, you should be."**_

 _Mario stated, "Snap out of it, Luigi! This isn't you! You don't try to kill me or team up with something that you fear most!"_

 _Mr. L shouted, **"Do NOT call me that name again! I will no longer be that weak junior! He was too imperfect, always looking for the spotlight because he wanted to get noticed by the one person that wouldn't give him half the chance to prove himself."**_

 _Mario replied, "Luigi, please, listen to me. I know how much you want to be the hero but you can't be the hero, if you are The Green Thunder. Please baby bro, snap out of it and help me fight these Boos..."_

 _As Mario waited for a reply from Mr. L, his smirk mysteriously got creepier - almost like a Boos smirk._

 _Mr. L responded, **"I can't believe that you fell for that again."**_

 _Suddenly, Mr. L turned pale white as Mario watched in horror as The Green Thunder turned into one of the Boos - the exact same one that trick him two years ago._

 _The Boo stated, "Oh man, I can't believe that worked twice!"_

 _King Boo replied, "That's because our dear red cap ignored the fact that we are able to create illusions at will. You're reaction Mario was spot on predictable. Though I have to admit, it was rather satisfying."_

 _Mario hissed, struggling even more now, "You won't get away with this!"_

 _The last thing that Mario heard before he blacked out was:_

 _"I already have."_

* * *

Mario bolted up from his bed, panting from the nightmare. That was the third time this week that he had dreamed of what happened between him and King Boo. He couldn't believe that King Boo's magic was THAT strong to get out of the painting. As he sat there in his bed, he looked over at his nightstand. On it was the picture that the ghosts took after the Dark Moon incident. Mario picked up the gold frame and looked at his brother specifically, reminding himself in his head that Luigi was alright. The sudden knock on the door made the oldest Manfredi twin jump out of his skin.

Toad asked, "Mario? Are you awake?"

When he heard Toad's voice, he instantly calmed himself, grabbing his red robe and headed downstairs. Though Mario had slept in his clothes again, he wanted it to seem like he had just woken up (though he had). Mario opened the door and saw Toad standing there.

Mario yawned as he answered, "Mattina, Toad."

Toad asked, "Did you just get up, Mario?"

Mario answered, "Si, I was rather tired. Had, er, couldn't sleep."

Toad replied, "Sorry to hear that. Anyways, I thought I stop by and tell you that Princess Peach is asking for you to see her today."

Mario responded, "Sounds good. Let me get dressed and something to eat real quick. Come on in."

Toad did as Mario had asked and entered the house of Super Mario. The house had two floors to it. The first floor had the living room, the kitchen, and the pantry. Upstairs were the bedrooms and the rest room. Currently, Toad was standing in the living room where the telvision, radio, couch, a chair, and a lamp in between couch and chair were located. Mario's room was at the top of the stairs, to the left.

Luigi's old room (which was now a guest room) was down the hall, last door to the right. In between the two rooms was the rest room, on the left. Mario went into the rest room and pretended to get dressed.

He then headed downstairs and into the kitchen, grabbing a banana. Toad saw this and looked at Mario.

Toad asked, "Just a banana?"

Mario answered, "Yeah, I usually have a big lunch."

With that, Mario and Toad headed out and started to walk towards Princess Peach's castle.

* * *

The weather had been picture perfect in the Mushroom Kingdom, though there were sure signs that things would warm up as summer crept closer. Princess Peach lifted her pink parasol up as she walked with her guest.

She giggled as she stated, "Oh Mario is going to be thrilled seeing you again after so long."

Before her guest could say anything, Toadsworth (Peach's adviser and father figure) approached them.

He told them, "Pardon the intrusion, your majesty, but Master Mario has arrived with Toad."

Peach replied, "Okay, we'll be right there."

Toadsworth nodded as he went into the lobby of the castle.

"Think he'll be surprised to see me," Peach's guest asked, sounding a bit nervous.

Peach smiled as she answered, "Defiantly!"

* * *

As Mario waited for the Princess, Toadsworth came to greet him, with a smile on his face. Mario was about to ask him what the smile was for but a voice caught his attention.

"Mario?"

The red capped plumber spun around and saw Peach coming in, smiling at him.

"Ciao, Principessa," Mario greeted, smiling.

Peach giggled as she kissed Mario's cheek as soon as Toadsworth left. Mario blushed.

She stated, "I have a surprise for you."

Mario asked, "Oh yeah, what is it?"

A very familiar voice answered, "Better question: who is it?"

The red capped plumber turned once again and his eyes widen in shock to who was standing in the hallway that Peach came from...

* * *

 _AK1028: Cliffhanger on the second chapter! I think that's a record! Hope you guys are enjoying this! Mattina means Morning in Italian as Ciao Principessa means Hello Princess in Italian. With that out of the way, please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	3. Chapter 3

Mario couldn't believe it but standing there was none other than Luigi. The youngest Manfredi twin smiled at the red capped plumber, who was beyond surprised to see him.

He asked, "Weegie? Is that really you?"

Luigi answered, "Yeah, it's me, Malleo."

Peach told Mario, "Luigi wanted to surprise you by coming over here."

Luigi added, "Plus, I'm never one to miss a tea party."

Mario was still trying to get over the fact that Luigi was here as he asked, "What tea party?"

Peach explained, "I thought it would be nice to have a tea party with my four best friends: the Manfredi twins and the Toad brothers! They are already on their way."

Luigi stated, "Should be fun."

Mario questioned, "What about Polterpup? How come he isn't here with you?"

Luigi explained, "Well, I didn't want to leave Elvin all alone while I came here so I asked Polterpup to stay with Elvin. Plus, it would be kinda weird for me to come into town with a ghost pup that I'm _'supposed'_ to be afraid of."

Peach pouted as she stated, "Well, one of these days, we'll have a party to introduce Polterpup to everyone."

Luigi joked, "Better make sure that there are golden bones for him, your majesty."

Peach giggled and replied, "Deal."

Mario was still so much in shock that he didn't even notice the conversation between Peach and Luigi. _'H-he's back,'_ Mario thought, his heart and mind racing.

"Mario?"

The red capped plumber finally snapped out of it and saw that Peach was standing in front of him. Luigi was there next to her, looking a bit worried.

Luigi asked, "You okay, Malleo?"

Mario answered, "Uh, yeah. Just surprised to see you, is all, Weegie."

Luigi stated, "I know but I wanted to surprise my grande fratello."

Mario smiled as he replied, "Grazti, baby bro."

Peach told them, "Well, now that's all settled, let's get ourselves some lunch so you two can catch up."

Mario pointed out, "It's been only three weeks."

Luigi joked, "Actually; three weeks, two hours, fifteen minutes, and two hundred seconds."

As Mario and Peach laughed, they headed into the huge dining hall for lunch. Little did they know what perils lay ahead...

* * *

After saying goodbye to the princess, Mario and Luigi started to walk through Toad Town. The Toads (of course) greeted Mario and some of them welcomed Luigi back or said a brief hello and moved on. Luigi wasn't bothered by this, actually. He was just glad to be home with Mario, even if it was just for a few days. As Mario and Luigi made it to a shop in town, they heard a familiar voice.

"Luigi!"

The green capped ghost hunter spun around and found himself in a bone crushing hug. The red capped plumber turned and saw the princess of flowers and Peach's cousin, Daisy.

Mario joked, "What? No hug for me?"

Daisy giggled as she playfully stuck out her tongue. Mario chuckled as Luigi pulled away from Daisy.

He asked, "Daisy, what are you doing here?"

Daisy answered, "Thought I'd see my cousin before I head home tonight. Heard you were in town and I thought I'd say hi!"

Luigi smiled at her brightly and stated, "That was really sweet of you, Daisy. And it is good to see you again."

Daisy replied, "Thanks, same to you. Will you see me off tonight?"

Luigi responded, "I'm sorry I can't. You see, I want to do one more thing tonight before the tea party with Malleo and Princess Peach tomorrow."

"Oh I see," Daisy said, sadly.

She slumped her shoulders as she walked off, sadly.

Mario saw this exchange and asked, "Why didn't you ask her to go with her?"

Luigi sighed and answered, "Cause where I'm going tonight, I don't want anyone going with me...not even you, Mario."

Without another word spoken, Luigi walked off and away from Mario. Mario knew in that instant that Luigi was going to go to the haunted mansion - tonight.

* * *

-Flashback-

 **Mario's POV**

 _I finally made it back home to the house I shared with Luigi. It had been awhile since Peach, Toadsworth, and I had gone to Isle Defino for a 'vacation'. Some vacation. Peach wounded up getting kidnapped after I was framed for a crime I didn't commit. On top of that, Bowser had a son that was trying to get 'Mama Peach' away from me. That was a bunch of bull and I knew it. On the bright side, Peach and I were a couple, unofficially, until everything calmed down again._

 _I heard Luigi greet, "Hey, welcome back bro."_

 _I looked up at him and I guess the bags under my eyes made him look at me with worry. Typical, he always did worry about me too much._

 _"T...thanks," I replied._

 _He pointed out the oblivious, "You look really exhausted."_

 _"I am… You think that Bowser would have easier final fights," I slightly joked._

 _Luigi chuckled as he slightly joked, "Even I know that isn't possible."_

 _"So what have you been up to since I've been gone," I asked, wanting to get the subject off of me for a few minutes._

 _I didn't hear his response right away but it sounded like: "...oh you actually care...?"_

 _"Beg your pardon," I questioned, wondering what he had said._

 _Luigi seemed to have sighed and answered, rather quietly, "Oh, I mean, it was boring. Nothing happened."_

 _"Sorry to hear that, baby bro. At least we can spend sometime together," I offered_

 _Luigi finally smiled for the first time since I got there and responded, "Sure, I'd like that."_

 _"Great! Now things will be a lot less crazy with Bowser dead and buried," I told him._

 _Word got out quick that I was back home again, mostly thanks to the Toads who gossip all of the time. I wasn't really in the mood for them, I just wanted to spend some time resting and with my brother._

* * *

Mario tried to follow Luigi but had no luck, he immediately lost him. The red capped plumber sighed in both worry and relief. He was worried about Luigi but he knew that he would be fine. But there was another reason Mario was relieved. If Luigi was going to the haunted mansion tonight, chances were, he was going to stay there for the night. _'Good, then he'll never find out my secret about my nightmares. Conceal, don't feel,'_ Mario thought as he headed back into Toad Town.

* * *

 _AK1028: Well guys, I find that to be a good stopping point. And yes, the part where Mario thinks 'Conceal, don't feel' is a reference to Frozen. That movie was AWESOME. Anyways, to translate a few words here: grande fratello means big brother in Italian and Grazti means thank you in Italian. With that, I leave for now. Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	4. Chapter 4

Later on that evening, Daisy was at the port, boarding the ship back to Sarasaland. Of course Peach, Toadsworth, Mario, and all of the Toads came out to bid her farewell but she saw no sign of her beloved green clad ghost hunter... She sighed sadly. Why didn't Luigi like her? Did she come on too strong? She had no clue.

* * *

At the haunted mansion (which was turned into a hotel but kept that haunted look for tourists), Luigi was down in the basement. Luigi trembled at the memories when he entered the secret altar, which was now a workout room for the hotel. Even though the atmosphere was pleasant, the memories were not. One of the Toads that worked there and was once Elvin's assistant approached Luigi.

"Are you okay," the little Toad asked.

"Not really, I'm just trying to find the remaining pieces to the puzzle," the green capped ghost hunter answered.

Toad said softly, "There's one person that can help with that."

Luigi looked at him and asked, "Who?"

"Madame Clairvoya," answered Toad, shivers running down his spine as he said that name.

"S-she's out of her painting," Luigi stammered.

To this, Toad just nodded.

As Luigi entered the Fortune-teller's room, a wave of familiar energy was flowing through him again. He had not seen Madame Clairvoya in two years, she was the only ghost besides Melody that was helpful during the first mansion incident. He saw her at her table, looking at her crystal ball. Luigi gulped, not knowing if he should approach the ghost.

Madame Clairvoya sensed his presence and stated, "Come forward, Luigi. I know you have a lot of questions for me."

Luigi stepped forward as he replied, "T-that I do."

Madame Clairvoya responded, "Do not be afraid, I will not hurt you in any way. I want to help you solve the puzzle."

Luigi stammered, "H-how did you get out of your painting?"

Madame Clairvoya explained, "The Professor let us all out by using the Dark-Light Device after the Dark Moon incident, since the moon there made us all friendly. I was already friendly to begin with, I was never one for violence. But he told us that we could live anywhere we wanted and I chose here. The Toads are nice and some of the tourists think I'm not real. I'm quite happy."

Luigi finally smiled as he stated, "I'm glad to hear that."

Madame Clairvoya observed, "I see that you have changed quite a bit the last time we met. You don't seem as scared of me."

Luigi replied, "I think I came over that fear of mine - not completely sure but I'm hanging in and doing the best I can."

Madame Clairvoya responded, "Well, that is the best anyone can do."

Luigi snickered and told her, "Not Mario, he's perfect."

Madame Clairvoya warned, "Do not think that way, Luigi. Your brother isn't perfect. In fact, there are things that you should know. And one of them is how King Boo escaped in the first place and what happened to the Ghost Portrificationizer."

* * *

Back with Mario, he had fallen asleep on the couch from watching television. He turned on the couch, his breathing starting to increase.

* * *

 _Mario looked up and saw Mr. L there, standing right next to King Boo. Mario paled as he wondered if his baby brother had become The Green Thunder once again. However, this idea was quickly dashed when three boos came in, dragging in what looked to be a body._

 _The red capped plumber raised his head and saw one color that stood out from the rest: green. King Boo smirked._

 _King Boo asked, "Ah, so the deed is done then?"_

 _One Boo answered, "Yes, he won't be saving anyone anytime soon."_

 _Mr. L stated,_

 _ **"I have to give you ghosts-with-creepy-laughs props, not only did you set me free but got rid of Luigi at the same time."**_

 _"Wait, what," Mario asked, as the Boos that encircled his arms allowed him to sit up from his bed._

 _Sure enough, the body that the Boos had dragged in was Luigi. The instant Mario saw the body, he started to gag and cry._

 _"NO! LUIGI!"_

* * *

"Mario? Malleo?"

Mario's eyes snapped open as standing there was Luigi. Mario nearly fell off of the couch but managed to recover, just in time to hug his baby brother. Luigi returned the hug, a bit worried and scared. What worried him? Mario, Super Mario, was crying.

* * *

-Flashback: 20 minutes ago-

 _Madame Clairvoya told Luigi, "You see, what you and Elvin failed to realize was King Boo's strength and ability to hold grudges. That's the base of his power. That is what makes him stronger."_

 _Luigi asked, "You mean to tell me that us entrapping him in a painting made him stronger?"_

 _Madame Clairvoya nodded as she added, "And more vengeful. He'll probably do again...but instead, he might go for a much bigger target. And there's no bigger target than...your brother."_

-End of Flashback-

* * *

 _AK1028: Hope what I'm doing here is making some sense. It's basic: 'King Boo is giving Mario nightmares of different versions of what could've happened during the Dark Moon incident.' King Boo just does NOT like Mario nor Luigi. Anyways, please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	5. Chapter 5

Luigi couldn't wrap his mind around Mario at the current moment but based off what Madame Clairvoya told him, the nightmares had just begun. Luigi looked down at his older brother and softly smiled.

He asked, "You wanna talk about it, Malleo?"

Mario nodded as he told Luigi about his nightmares from the past couple of weeks. Luigi was in shock as Mario sighed, feeling bad for hiding his problem for this long.

The red capped plumber stated, "I'm sorry for not telling you right away, Weegie. I wanted to face this."

Luigi said nothing right away, he didn't want to say anything wrong. Instead, he decided to change the subject.

The green capped ghost hunter asked, "Are you going to tell Peach tomorrow when we see her? And what about the Toad Bros.?"

Mario sighed and answered, "I don't know if I'm going to tell them yet. I'll have to think about it."

Luigi stated, "I understand."

Mario asked, "Are you mad at me, baby bro?"

Luigi shook his head and answered, "No, Malleo. I couldn't be mad at you."

 _'You should be,'_ Mario thought, sadly.

* * *

-Flashback-

 **Mario's POV**

 _Three weeks later; Luigi was outside in the front of the house, trimming the hedges while I was in the back, trimming the lawn. That's when the mailman came. I came over to Luigi once I heard the mailman leave and saw some hurt in his eyes. What was going on? Why was he looking so hurt? He held the mail in his hands, looking like a little kid about ready to cry. I hated when Luigi was so emotional like this. He needed to be more like me._

 _"Anything for me," I asked_

 _He finally noticed me and answered, "No, there's something here for me, though."_

 _"Then open it, Weegie," I stated._

 _He was rather slow in opening it, like he was really hurt about something. I rolled my eyes as he took out a letter and then his sadness turned to utter surprise._

 _He told me, "Listen to this, Malleo! I won a mansion!"_

 _That got my attention._

 _"Wait, what," I asked._

 _I snatched the letter out of his hands and read it said:_

 _'Dear Mr. Luigi Manfredi,_

 _Congratulations! You were our winner in the recent contest - "Younger Brothers of Major Heroes". You have won an all expense paid mansion and enclosed is a map to get you to your new home! You may bring with you two people of your choice to see this mansion and come to claim it on November 18, 2001. We hope to see you soon!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _K.B., CEO of Scare to Care'_

 _I looked up again and saw that Luigi was beyond happy._

 _He commented, "You know what this means, Malleo? I can have a house of my own and do what I want and please!"_

 _I couldn't stop this bad feeling I had. Something was telling me that something was wrong. I decided not to let Luigi know, he seemed too excited. I took a look at the map and made a quick copy of it inside of the house. I gave Luigi the original copy._

 _"Listen, I want to be one of the ones to go. I got to make sure that my baby brother doesn't get a big fat head," I stated._

 _He groaned, "Malleo..."_

 _"Relax, you can ask Princess Daisy to come with you if you want," I replied, with a chuckle._

 _He frowned at that and I couldn't help but wonder why. Didn't he like Daisy? But just then, his frown turned into a smile._

 _Luigi responded, "I rather go alone..."_

 _After saying a quick goodbye, I headed to the place where this mansion was. Little did I know..._

-End of Flashback-

* * *

Luigi yawned, tiredly.

Mario saw this and asked, "Why not get some sleep?"

Luigi answered, "I think I will be here on the couch here with you, you seem like you need the company."

"Graze, baby bro," Mario stated, with a smile.

"You're welcome, big bro," Luigi replied, laying on the couch next to Mario.

It wasn't long before the two brothers were fast asleep. A good thing too because the day to come would be a crazy one...

* * *

The very next morning, Luigi's sleep was distributed by the smell of bacon. Luigi slowly opened his sapphire eyes and saw that Mario had gotten up before him. The older Manfredi twin was even making Luigi's favorite breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, and white toast with strawberry jam. Luigi got up from the couch, with a smile on his face.

He asked, "You made breakfast?"

Mario answered, "The least I could do for you after last night."

Luigi stated, "It's not exactly your fault, Malleo."

Mario looked up from the frying pan and asked, "What do you mean, Weegie?"

Luigi sighed as he replied, "You won't believe what I have to tell you but it needs to be said, before the tea party this afternoon."

The red capped plumber perked up and as the green capped ghost hunter told his older brother what Madame Clairvoya told him. The minute he was finished, Mario had finished cooking but he never looked more surprised.

Mario blurted out, "King Boo is after me?!"

Luigi stated, "It's the only logical explanation. You are the only person that is the true threat. I mean; Blue, Yellow, and I aren't that much of a threat."

Blue and Yellow were the name of the Toad Bros. that often helped Mario and Luigi on their missions.

Mario replied, "I guess so..."

Either brother said nothing after that, enjoying their breakfast. Before they headed out for the castle to see the princess, Mario went into town to get some flour for the house. Luigi had gone with him, just wanting to be with his big brother. At the shop, they saw the Toad Bros.

Luigi asked, "Blue? Yellow?"

Blue and Yellow spun around and saw the Manfredi brothers standing behind them.

Yellow greeted happily, "Hi, Luigi! Hey, Mario!"

Mario stated, "Good to see you two again."

Blue replied, "The same to you both. We heard about what happened with the Dark Moon. Glad you are okay, Mario."

Mario responded, with a small smile, "Thanks. I'm just glad that Weegie was able to save me."

Speaking of Luigi, he was chatting it up with Yellow, who seemed rather talkative. Yellow was always the happier one of the Toad Bros., being the youngest of the two. That's why Blue and Mario always got along, they were the oldest.

Luigi told Yellow, "And then, all of the sudden, whoosh! I was in this strange room with these four nights..and the Dark Moon piece."

Yellow's eyes widen as he asked, "What did you do?"

Luigi explained, "I went for the Dark Moon piece but there was a possessor ghost protecting it!"

Yellow exclaimed, "Figures! Just couldn't get a break, huh?"

Luigi blew a raspberry and replied, "Not with my luck."

Mario smiled at Luigi as he heard a voice.

 ** _Better be prepared to lose it all soon, sir-jumps-a-lot. I have you marked._**

Mario almost jumped out of his skin as he scanned the area, looking at Luigi really quickly. When he confirmed that Luigi was still himself, Mario couldn't help but wonder if he was hearing things or if it was King Boo trying to get to him. In either event, he had to talk to Luigi soon.

* * *

That afternoon was a peaceful one, Mario was sitting right next to Peach, staring at her awing beauty. Next to Mario were, from left to right: Yellow, Blue, and Luigi. Suddenly, they heard a rumble and they all perked up as they heard an explosion in the air.

Blue started to ask, "What the...?"

At that moment, a claw came out of the sky, pulling Peach off to the side.

Mario cried out, worried, "Peach!"

Yellow stated, "Mario, look out!"

The claw turned into a fist, ready to pound Mario. Luigi grabbed Mario, ready to push him out of the way but it was no use, the fist already pounded the four of them. The claw then picked them up and threw them as far as it could. The four of them landed in a tree as they were slingshot out of it, landing by some Baby Yoshis.

Luigi groaned as he asked, "Everyone okay...?"

As everyone nodded, they looked off into the distance, seeing Bowser and his kids attacking the castle. Mario bolted, taking the lead. Luigi followed behind, with Blue and Yellow following him. They had to save Princess Peach! Again!

* * *

 _AK1028: I know I'm ending it a bit short but there is a reason! This story is going right into the story line of New Super Mario Bros. U. There is a reason we're doing that and in ordinary to find out, you need to stay tuned! Oh, there is some news as well._

 _News: Also, there might not be updates Sunday 2/21 to either Tuesday 2/23 or Wednesday 2/24. My boyfriend and I might go to South Carolina for a few days for some r &r. The reason I'm saying this is because there is no Wi-Fi there. So if we were to go, I might just put this on a temporary hold for a few days. It won't be bad. Or, I might update Saturday with 3-4 chapters. I haven't decided yet._

 _Final note: Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	6. Chapter 6

Running through Acorn Plains Way, Mario was leading the charge. He was really worried about Peach. Luigi, Blue, and Yellow were right behind him. They weren't as fast as Mario but they followed right behind at a steady pace. Mario grabbed a flying squirrel power-up and took for the skies. Luigi grabbed one of them too as did Blue and Yellow. After running past Acorn Plains Way, the four heroes continued onwards to the Titled Tunnel.

Luigi commented, "Acorn Plains is peaceful."

Yellow stated, "Too bad that they don't know what's going on..."

Blue replied, "They will, probably soon."

Mario responded, "Yeah, you are right."

After a few close calls, the saw the light at the end of tunnel. Mario, Luigi, Blue, and Yellow made it to a small castle. They saw that it was Crushing-Cogs Tower. Sighing, they entered the tower that they knew belonged to Boom-Boom. Course beating Boom-Boom came rather easily, even though Princess Peach's screams coming from the castle reminded them that they needed to hurry. As they went pass Yoshi Hill, Mushroom Heights, Rise of the Piranha Plants, and Blooper's Secret Lair; Mario grunted in pain.

Blue picked up on this and stated, "Perhaps we should stop and rest for the night."

Mario started to reply, "I'll be okay..."

Yellow interrupted, "I happen to agree with Blue. I think we should rest."

Luigi responded, "I agree so let's get camp set up."

The red capped plumber knew that he was outnumbered so he allowed his friends to get their rest. After pitching tents, getting firewood, and making their food; everyone went to bed.

* * *

 _I finally got to Boo Woods, where the map from Luigi's letter was leading me to. I couldn't understand it. This mansion looked completely run down and more importantly - it looked haunted. I had to check this out. I even saw an old man out of the corner of my eye down at the grounds of the mansion but I didn't stop to chat. He was warning me not to go in anyhow. I just had this bad feeling. Using my red fire ability, I created light for myself to look around. I got into the Courtyard without seeing a ghost. 'Maybe it is just a bit run down,' I thought._

 _That thought was quickly dashed away when I heard some cackling. I stopped in my tracks and saw Boos in front of me. I got ready to fight - that was until I saw that I was surrounded. Mamma mia, where did all of these Boos come from? What were they doing here? The next thing I knew, they attacked me without giving me a chance to fight back. I was never so scared...I was never so outnumbered. All I could keep thinking about was warning Luigi…that's why I wrote that letter in a hurry. That's why I lost my star before I could use it. That's why…I lost…_

 _My eyes finally opened after what seemed to be forever. I had this weird nightmare that I was put through this machine to become a portrait. When I finally able to see where I was - I realized that it wasn't a dream…I was in a painting… Why didn't I wait for Luigi? I had to find out what was going on… Now I was a prisoner of these Boos. It was rather unusual the way they attacked me like that. I guess you can't trust a Boo farther than I threw Bowser into the molten lava a few months ago._

 _I was glad he was long gone but I guess I should've suspected that King Boo would come to mess with me - and Luigi. Speak of the devil, he just came threw the wall - like a true ghost._

 _He mocked, "Enjoying your painting quarters."_

 _I pressed my hands up against the glass, mad._

 _"Once Luigi gets here, you are going to regret locking me up in this painting," I hissed._

 _King Boo smirked evilly and replied, "Oh? The weakling brother is who I'm supposed to be scared of? Everyone knows what you think of your own DNA."_

 _"What the hell are you talking about," I asked, pissed off._

 _He explained, "Think about it, red cap. The minute you get the opportunity to go on vacation with the princess and her royal adviser, what was the first thing you do? You started packing! You didn't - not even once - ask your own younger twin brother if he wished to join you. Nope, the only thing you did was asked him to get the luggage from the attic since you were too busy talking about the trip of a lifetime. Talk about insult to injury."_

 _I was about to protest but the more I thought about it - the more I realized that King Boo was right. I didn't even ask Luigi if he wanted to come. All I did was pack and talked about Isle I said nothing to defend myself, King Boo's smirk got wider._

 _"Don't you smirk at me," I hissed._

 _King Boo responded, "Oh come now, red cap. You know I'm right. You think Luigi is a poor excuse for a human. Why else would you leave him behind constantly? It is because you are embarrassed to be around a failure and the worst part is - he is your younger twin brother."_

 _I say nothing but let those words sink in as King Boo went off somewhere. Was I really that awful to my own flesh and blood?_

 _ **"You are that terrible to your flesh and blood, sir-jumps-a-lot."**_

 _I spun around and saw Mr. L...in the painting with me...with blood on his usually clean gray gloves. I was confused. Mr. L didn't exist during the first mansion incident...right?_

 _"What are you doing here," I asked, getting ready for anything._

 _However, I wasn't ready for anything. Mr. L threw the body of my dead brother...right at my feet. He had been strangled, stabbed, hanged, and worse... I nearly gagged. I looked at Mr. L, who was smirking at my reaction._

 ** _"I had to kill the junior, you really are awful to him."_**

 _"NO!"_

* * *

 _AK1028: Things are getting spooky and good... Hope you guys enjoyed this after a bit of a delay. Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	7. Chapter 7

The night air was crisp as the stars seemed to have danced in the sky. Luigi was sound asleep in his tent, knowing that he needed his rest before they headed onwards to face Lemmy Koopa. Blue and Yellow were also sound asleep in their respected tents, dreaming about having families of their own in the future. Luigi was having a peaceful dream too. It seemed like the only person NOT having peaceful dreams was Mario, who was tossing and turning. Not easy to do when you are in a sleeping bag but there it was.

A shadow was looming over the red clad plumber as he tossed and turned, getting closer to its reward - Mario. The shadow grinned as it was about to have its long, sharp fangs bite down on Mario's neck. It didn't want his blood like a vampire, it wanted to leave its mark and give the red clad plumber nightmares forever. However, sudden sound made him quickly turn invisible. Luigi was up from his good dream (though he didn't want to be) and heard the heavy breathing coming from Mario's tent.

"Malleo," Luigi called, as he started to approach the tent.

The shadow did one quick move, biting into Mario's skin. Mario screamed in absolute pain and horror as the fangs left their mark. Luigi heard the scream and (even though he was scared), grabbed the Stroboscope that Elvin let him keep from the Dark Moon incident. He ran into the tent and shined the light, seeing a shadow hovering over his older brother. The evil cackle that Luigi knew so well rang in his ears yet again. The shadow was King Boo himself, looking just as menacing and with a blue power gem on top of his head (probably to replace the purple one that Luigi took from him a few months ago).

"See you, Luigi," said the master of illusions, as he disappeared into the night.

Luigi, swearing that he was having a heart attack due to the shock and fear, immediately rushed to Mario's side. He saw the fang marks in Mario's skin, on the left side of his neck. Mario was really starting to kick and scream in his sleep, still having the nightmare that Mr. L somehow got free from Luigi's body and then turned around and killed his former host. In either event, Luigi knew that he needed help, there was just no way to wake up Mario in the state he was in and he had to be the one that could do it. But he also considered the princess, who was still in peril. _'Better clue Blue and Yellow in on this,'_ he thought.

So Luigi ran over to their tents and yelled, "Blue! Yellow! Wake up, Mario is in trouble!"

* * *

-Nightmare/Flashback-

 **Mario's POV**

 _I don't know how long I had been here. I felt like days, months even. Ever since that Toad (what was his name again) saw me in the painting and me seeing Luigi in the well, I hadn't had many visits from King Boo lately. Crap, speak of the devil. King Boo just came in. He really got me pissed off about saying that I was so eager in leaving Luigi behind in ordinary to go to Isle Defino with Peach and Toadsworth. I was about to say something…until I saw something green…_

 _It was a man in green…_

 _"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BROTHER," I shouted at the top of my lungs._

 _King Boo smirked evilly at me as I was near tears. The person that the Boos had dragged in - was Luigi. WAS. His body was seriously damaged and he looked like he hung himself. No - he couldn't have… There had to be another explanation. I saw Luigi earlier and he was alive and well!_

 _The king of boos explained, "Poor thing knew that he was beat. He knew that he could never defeat me. He knew that he could never be like his brother, thee Super Mario."_

 _I had never been more upset in my life. My younger twin brother was dead…all because of me… I made a fist, pressed it up against the glass, and pounded it hard._

 _"ONCE I GET OUT OF HERE, KING BOO, YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET EVER MEETING ME," I yelled, screaming at the top of my lungs._

 _Suddenly, I saw Luigi's head come up mysteriously. Half of me wanted to celebrate while the other half of me wanted to barf. He was in a really bad condition. Just then, Luigi smirked and then turned a pale white. I watched in terror, thinking that something was wrong. But I quickly proven to be - not only wrong - but fooled. Turned out that the Luigi they had brought in - was a Boo in disguise._

 _The Boo said, "Well, I didn't think you cared for me at all, Mario! How sweet of you to defend me like that!"_

 _"W-wait, what," I asked, trying not to sound scared._

 _Actually, I was scared, confused, pissed off, and worried all at the same time._

 _King Boo explained, "Ah, that look you had on your face…it was so satisfying… You really thought that your brother, your weak link was dead. He's still alive, for now, and continuing his predicted path of becoming a painting just like his older brother. You know what they say, when one twin falls...the other is sure to follow."_

 _When the Boos and King Boo left, I sunk to my knees. I, Mario Gregory Manfredi, don't deserve such a wonderful baby twin brother. One that is willing to forgive me - even when I'm horrible to him. What kind of person was I? I treated Luigi so badly! I'm surprised that he is coming here to save me. I didn't deserve it… I didn't deserve Luigi as my twin..._

 _ **"Wait...sir-jumps-a-lot actually cares about me. I'm honored."**_

 _I spun around and yet again, The Green Thunder was behind me, looking smug._

 _"Don't you dare start either," I hissed, not in the mood._

 _Seemed like he was starting to appear more and more to piss me off or to show me something horrid._

 _Mr. L replied,_ _ **"Oh come on, sir-jumps-a-lot. Don't deny that you care about me."**_

 _"I care about Luigi, not you," I responded._

 _Mr. L raised an eyebrow and commented,_ _ **"If 'caring for him' means leaving him behind on the greatest adventures, letting him do the work around the house while you have fun with pretty-princess-in-pink, and have everyone think that he's just 'Mario's brother'; then yes, you are doing a fabulous job."**_

 _I knew that I was sunk when I didn't defend Luigi or my motives. I wanted to keep Luigi away from harm. I wanted to make sure that he stayed safe._

 _"Don't you have a robot to build or something," I finally asked, sitting down on the floor._

 _Mr. L perked up at this and asked,_ _ **"Don't have nothing to say?"**_

 _"I know I've been rotten to Luigi. I've realized that. I don't deserve him coming to rescue me. Mama always said, 'Watch out for your brother, Mario. Take care of Luigi, Mario. Make sure that he knows right from wrong.' I've done that and more and yet I treat him like trash. He has a heart of gold and now I know why he's coming," I answered, not knowing why I was opening up to Mr. L for._

 _His face seemed to have softened, though. His expression was now unreadable._

 _Mr. L sat down next to me and stated_ , _**"It's not easy being me either. Trying to be perfect and such. Building robots to destroy you heroes. Helping Count Bleck and my friends, if that's what you want to call them. I've been made to be perfect but I can't be perfect. I have accepted that. I'm only human. I'm only an alter ego. Somewhere deep inside of me, I have Luigi's heart of gold. But Dimentio and Nastasia's brainwashing made it not as strong. Which is probably why you didn't see that I was Luigi right away. Cause you can identify him by his heart of gold."**_

 _I couldn't wrap my mind around what was happening. I knew this was a nightmare, it was obvious but was Mr. L really opening up to me?_

 _"You know, even though I know this is a nightmare and everything, what you said made sense," I replied finally._

 _Mr. L responded,_ _ **"I actually live in nightmares now, sir-jumps-a-lot. I'm the part that Luigi never wants to be again but he can't avoid me cause I am him."**_ _I smiled as there was a sudden silence between us. Finally; he stated,_ _ **"Listen sir-jumps-a-lot. There is something that you ought to know."**_

 _"What is it," I asked, looking at him._

 _Mr. L answered,_ _ **"Things aren't going to end on a good note. This is King Boo's way to get to you, with his nightmares and me."  
**_ _  
"I know, I kinda figured that out," I stated._

 _Mr. L started to reply,_ _ **"Yeah but the reason will freak you out..."**_

 _"Oh you aren't going to tell him now, are you?"_

 _We both looked up and saw King Boo floating in front of the painting, looking mad. I got to my feet, as did Mr. L. We knew that we had to stand together if I was ever going to get out of this nightmare...literally._

* * *

 _AK1028: I have a little bit of time before Tim and I go to South Carolina so I thought I give you this chapter today. Things are getting good, that's for sure! I have to admit that this was well written, though I spent more time in the nightmare/flashback than in the real world. I wanted to do that, I want to touch upon the fact that Mr. L and Mario can be friends (since they are technically brothers). Anyways guys, please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	8. Chapter 8

Princess Peach always knew that Mario and Luigi would come to save her from Bowser. Well, at least Mario would. She could always count on Mario. She knew that Luigi meant well but he was such a scary cat... However, when she saw Blue and Yellow come to her rescue she instantly knew that something was wrong. And when Blue and Yellow defeated Bowser, she saw them opening the tower she was trapped in.

"Princess," Yellow gushed.

"Oh thank goodness," Blue stated.

"I'm glad to see you two but where's Mario and Luigi," she asked, worried.

Yellow answered, "Mario is locked into a nightmare."

Blue added, "Thanks to King Boo."

Peach questioned, "King Boo is back?"

Yellow asked, "You know him?"

Peach explained, "Saw on him on Isle Defino."

Blue stated, "Well, apparently, he has some more history with Mario - and Luigi - than that."

* * *

Professor Elvin Gadd was spending some time in the peaceful Evershade Valley, studying his beloved ghosts. He looked up at the pictures that hung on his wall. The one on the left was from the first mansion incident where he, Mario, and Luigi were standing in front of the _'haunted mansion'_ \- all smiles. The one next to it was from the recent Dark Moon incident where he, Mario, Luigi, the ghosts of the valley, and Polterpup - all smiles. He often wondered what Luigi was up to recently.

He had told Elvin that he was going to be gone for about a week to visit his brother, whom he was starting to miss dearly. _'I wonder what Luigi is up to,'_ Elvin thought. Suddenly, the lab door busted open. Elvin took a look and saw Luigi standing in the doorway, with a passed out Mario in his arms. Apparently, Mario had got in further into the nightmare due to the mark King Boo left him and now was knocked out cold.

"Luigi, what happened," Elvin asked, practically freaking out.

"Never mind that, Elvin, we've got to get into Malleo's nightmare," Luigi answered, tears in his eyes.

* * *

-Nightmare-

 **Mario's POV**

 _I looked at King Boo with a vengeance. He was just asking to be smoked! But he didn't focus on me, his eyes were on Mr. L since he was in the painting with me. And if looks could kill, Mr. L would be so dead._

 _King Boo hissed, "Surely you aren't going to tell red cap what is going on? I thought you had better morals than siding with your enemy."_

Mr. L replied,

 _ **"Like I said, creepy-leader-of-the-Boos, I only decided to help you cause of our deal."  
**_ _  
"What deal," I asked._

 _Mr. L explained,_ _ **"I'll explain later as soon as we get out of here, sir-jumps-a-lot."**_

 _King Boo stated, "You won't escape and you won't stop my plans! I will get my vengance and terrorize the world beyond!"_

 _"Not on my watch," I growled, activating my red fire powers._

 _King Boo smirked and told me, "You seem to forget, red cap, the last time you did that, it bounced all over the walls of that painting. Your power isn't enough."_

 _I growled under my breath, I almost forgot that. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw a brilliant green light that crackled with electricity. I took a look and saw that Mr. L had activated his green electricity powers._

 _Mr. L stated,_ _ **"Not if we work together, creepy-leader-of-the-Boos! Have at you!"**_

 _"Take this," I shouted at the same time as Mr. L._

 _Our powers combined and destroyed the painting that we were trapped in and hit King Boo, knocking him to the ground._

 _Mr. L told me,_ _ **"He'll come to soon so we best get out of here."**_

 _"Lead the way," I replied, allowing him to take the charge._

 _The Green Thunder nodded as he lead me out of the copy of the first haunted mansion and onto what looked like solid ground. However, it looked like the entire place was melting. There were shades of dark blue, dark purple, and dark green everywhere - making this place a lot eerier than the haunted mansion._

 _Mr. L shouted,_ _ **"Come on, sir-jumps-a-lot. We don't have all day!"**_

 _"Where are we," I asked, when I caught up to him._

 _Mr. L answered,_ _ **"Nightmare Valley, the place where all nightmares come from. You know when you start having bad dreams about Peach being married to Bowser out of love, this is where they come from."**_

 _"I thought this place was a myth," I stated, as we stopped near a cave of some sort._

 _Everyone from Mushroom Kingdom and beyond knew that in legends and myths, Nightmare Valley was where every nightmare came from and lived during the daytime or when people weren't asleep. The Dreams Deep was where every dream came from and lived during the daytime or when people weren't asleep._

 _Mr. L replied,_ _ **"It's not and we're here."**_

 _"Here? Where," I asked, looking around a bit._

 _We were in the middle of nowhere it seemed, with nothing around for miles except the cave Mr. L was standing by._

 _He finally answered,_ _ **"Spectral Ridge."**_

 _As he entered the cave, I did the same and got a quick shock. There, in the cave, were creatures and some Toads. Wait, where were Toads doing here?_

 _One of the creatures stated, "The Green Thunder has returned!"_

 _"What is this place," I asked Mr. L._

 _He briefly ignored me as he looked at the creature and stated,_ _ **"This is Mario Manfredi, another prigioniero. We need to find the next Oblò di Luce before King Boo finds him."**_

 _The creature nodded as he ran off. I looked at Mr. L, knowing what those Italian words meant._

 _"Prisoner? Porthole of Light? What's going on," I questioned, getting ticked._

 _Mr. L looked around and answered,_ _ **"Come outside with me for a moment."**_

 _I did what he asked, stepping out of the cave with him. He sighed as he looked at the empty terrain, almost heartbroken._

 _"Well," I stated, though it was more of a question._

 _Mr. L explained,_ _ **"It all started after I was sent here by junior. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, thinking that I had failed in my mission to kill you for Dimentio and Count Bleck. Which is true that I did but I was in a bit of denial. Anyways, I had found this cavern one day and one of the creatures told me that they were all prisoners from an event called 'the haunted mansion'. I had asked them what that meant but all they told me was that they were fuel for King Boo's magic stone so that he could escape his prison and get revenge upon whoever sealed him away."**_

 _"Luigi," I stated, knowing this._

 _Mr. L nodded as he continued,_ _ **"I didn't know it was junior until that night where creepy-leader-of-the-Boos destroyed the Dark Moon. Ever since then, my mind started to develop into my own. I was no longer junior. Well, in here I'm not. I knew that if I wanted to figure out what his plan was for this place, I had to work alongside of him and also against him. In secret, I started to send these trapped souls back to the real world, using the Porthole of Light. The Porthole of Light opens every morning around dawn and closes around the evening hours and its location changes everytime."**_

 _"That still doesn't explain what I'm doing here," I pointed out._

 _Mr. L replied,_ _ **"I know and I am getting to that. Recently, creepy-leader-of-the-Boos wanted to seal you away in Nightmare Valley so junior would be an easier target. Once junior and some scientist I don't even know were out of the way, he said that he wanted to go straight for the crown of Mushroom Kingdom, pretty-princess-in-pink."**_

 _"Peach," I blurted out._

 _Mr. L responded,_ _ **"Right and once you, junior, and this scientist were out of the way, he was going to claim the crown and then go after Koopa-with-a-weight-problem."**_

 _"Bowser," I asked._

 _I learned Mr. L's nicknames for us pretty quickly, though it seemed like he didn't have one for Elvin just yet._

 _Mr. L nodded as he finished,_ _ **"So short and sweet, your trapped in Nightmare Valley with these other captives while junior is out there, making himself vulernable to get trapped as well. If there is no defense for pretty-princess-in-pink or Koopa-with-a-weight-problem, what do you think will happen?"**_

 _"Everything would collapse and King Boo would win," I stated._

 _Mr. L replied,_ _ **"And the entire world would fall under creepy-leader-of-the-Boos and his juniors power."**_

 _"It won't happen, I'm going with you to The Porthole of Light first thing in the morning," I responded. I took a pause and started to add, "You and I will go back into the real world and..."_

 _He interrupted,_ _ **"And I'll try and kill you the minute we get there, cause junior would turn into me and that brainwashing will automatically trigger."**_

 _My face softened as I realized that he was right. There was no way he could leave Nightmare Valley peacefully - or as his true self either. He had to stay in this hell hole..._

* * *

 _AK1028: Well, things are getting interesting, don't you think? Mr. L is like Luigi! That IS a nightmare (well, for him anyways). What do you guys think? Believable? Let me know! Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	9. Chapter 9

Luigi had never been so scared or felt so guilty in all of his life. Mario was stuck in a nightmare world and it was practically his fault. Elvin went over to Luigi.

He stated, "It's like you said, my boy. King Boo has somehow locked your brother in Nightmare Valley."

Luigi asked, "Can we get him out of there?"

Elvin answered, "Unless we find The Porthole of Light by sunrise, I can't think of another way to get to Nightmare Valley."

The green clad ghost hunter stated, "We don't know where The Porthole of Light is! And I'm worried about Malleo..."

Elvin reassured, "Oh calm down, Luigi. He can handle himself."

Luigi replied, shaking his head a bit, "I am not worried about that. I'm worried about Mr. L."

Elvin questioned, "Who on earth is that?"

Luigi grimaced as he nearly forgotten that he had not told Elvin of the Chaos Heart incident, where he was brainwashed into being The Green Thunder. Luigi gulped as he looked at his old friend.

He finally answered, "Mr. L, the Green Thunder, is programmed to kill Mario by Nastasia, who served Count Bleck. But then he worked for Dimentio, a minion of the counts to get the Chaos Heart to destroy all worlds!"

Elvin perked up and asked, "Wait, wait, wait my boy. You said programmed. Is this Mr. L a robot?"

Luigi stated, "N-not really but he wanted to be perfect for the Count so he made robots that we of amazing force. He called it Brobot, a metal robot that was his brother in a weird way."

Elvin replied, "And this Chaos Heart? Is it still out there?"

Luigi responded, "No but it might be best if I told the whole story. It all began with the lost book of prophecies. This prophetic book was a mysterious tome of stories of future events. Of course, many people craved this book, wishing to glimpse their futures. But no person, after obtaining this amazing book, ever found happiness. The reason? The book held frightful secrets not meant for people's eyes. That book came to be called the Dark Prognosticus and was sealed away. This...is the tale of that forgotten book's last owner. It is a tale of love..."

After about a few hours, Luigi was done telling the story and Elvin had figured out in the meantime where The Porthole of Light was going to appear next: Boo Woods. Polterpup (who had heard the story and was playing with the other ghosts) whined a bit as he sat at his master's side. Luigi petted Polterpup, in a bit of a trance. He never felt so awful. Elvin was still in shock about the whole thing that Luigi was this Mr. L.

Elvin asked, rather gently, "Have you become him since?"

Luigi answered, "Several times before the Dark Moon incident. I finally had enough and managed to get enough courage to send him to Nightmare Valley. But I still feel his presence inside of me. He's not going away, he's here to stay. And if I let him out for more than an hour...you might as well say that I killed Mario...cause I did in a way..."

At this point, Luigi couldn't hold it in much longer. He started to break down and cry.

* * *

 _Nightmare Valley, Spectral Ridge_

 **Mario's POV**

 _As Mr. L and the prisoners slept, I took a walk around Spectral Ridge. This place was very scary but I stayed brave. I had to, I was Super Mario after all. I never got scared like Luigi. That's when I heard a voice._

 _ **"St-stop where you are!"**_

 _I perked up. That sounded like my voice. But I didn't say anything...right?_

 _"Who's there," I demanded, activating my red fire powers._

 _Suddenly and without warning, a fireball came out of the east and landed at my feet, causing me to slide back a little. I looked around but there was no one to be seen._

 _The voice stated,_

 _ **"G-go a-away!"**_

 _"Where are you," I demanded._

 _As another fireball was being hurled at my head, an explosion happened, throwing me onto my back. I looked up and saw Mr. L standing there._

 _Mr. L stated,_ _ **"Come on out, Red Inferno. I know you are there."**_

 _Red Inferno replied,_ _ **"N-not until he goes away!"**_

 _"I'm no enemy, I'm Super Mario," I responded, unsure of who I was talking to._

 _I never heard of Red Inferno. After a bit of a little wait, a person came out of the shadows. And couldn't believe who it was..._

* * *

Back in Mushroom Kingdom, Peach had arrived back with Blue and Yellow. The kingdom rejoiced but then noticed that Mario or Luigi were with them. Toadsworth approached them.

He asked, "Master Blue! Master Yellow! Thank you for saving the princess. But where's Master Mario and Master Luigi?"

Yellow blubbered, "Oh, Toadsworth! It's awful! King Boo sealed Mario in Nightmare Valley!"

Peach stated softly, "Please calm down, Yellow. We need to stay calm right now."

Blue added, "Right, Professor E Gadd is rather knowledgeable. I'm sure Mario is in good hands with Luigi and Elvin."

Toadsworth commented, "I don't understand why King Boo wants to get at Master Mario and Master Luigi so badly."

Blue stated, "I wonder the same thing."

A voice replied, "I can help you with that mystery."

Blue, Yellow, Peach, and Toadsworth spun around as they saw a ghost floating there. She had a long maroon colored dress with long sleeves. There was white frilly trim is on her sleeves and the bottom of her dress. She has also has dark red belt with a white buckle at her waist and has a dark red bow near her neck. She also has a slight collar to the top of her dress.

She has a heart shaped head and has long pale blond hair with two long bangs pushed behind her ears. Her hair curves at the bottom of her hairstyle. She has light sky-blue skin and large completely yellow eyes. She also has a small nose.

Yellow screamed at the top of his lungs and blubbered, "AH! A ghost!"

Peach stammered, "A-a real g-ghost?"

She nodded as she answered, "Yes, I am Melody Pianissima, the spectral beauty of the ivory keys. And I have the answer that you seek."

Toadsworth asked, "Y-you aren't g-going to harm us, are you?"

Blue pointed out, "I think if she wanted to harm us, she would've by now."

Melody stated, "Your friend is correct, I am friendly. I have been touched by the Dark Moon's power and now I am free of my bonds."

Toadsworth questioned, "Dark Moon? Your bonds? What does that mean?"

Melody answered, "It is quite simple when think of it. I know the truth and it is time that you know it too. It is a tale of a man, a phony letter, and one haunted mansion."

* * *

 _AK1028: Well, there we go guys! And there is still more to come! What will happen now? Who is Red Inferno? And how does Mr. L know him? And can Luigi get to Nightmare Valley to save Mario? Well, just stick around to find out! Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	10. Chapter 10

Peach, Toadsworth, Blue, and Yellow were all in shock from the story that Melody had told them about both mansion incidents. They couldn't believe that Luigi accomplished so much in the mansion and faced so many ghosts.

Peach commented, "I can't believe it."

Melody stated, "It's all true and now, King Boo is back, wanting to - not only get rid of Mario - but the bond that he shares with Luigi."

Toadsworth breathed, "Goodness!"

Blue asked, "How is he going to do that?"

Yellow added, "Yes, how will he accomplish that by sealing Mario in Nightmare Valley?"

Melody explained, "Quite simple, with Mario in Nightmare Valley, Luigi will keep blaming himself enough to bring forth Mr. L. Since Mr. L has become sort of an advocate for the prisoners of King Boo."

"Prisoners," everyone blurted out, at the same time.

* * *

Elvin, Luigi (while carrying knocked out Mario), and Polterpup finally made it to Boo Woods. Elvin had the Poltergust 5000 on his back for Luigi. The green clad ghost hunter placed his older brother down in the pathway in front of his house as Polterpup looked worried.

The ghost researcher looked down at the paper that he had and stated, "According to my calculations, The Porthole of Light will open at dawn, right at this spot. Once it does, you jump in - taking the Poltergust 5000 and find Mario."

Luigi replied, "Sounds easy but I have a bad feeling it won't be..."

Polterpup sat next to the knocked out Mario, licking his face in worry. Luigi smiled at the sight.

Elvin smiled at the sight and changed the subject, "Have you decided on whether or not to name the little feller?"

Luigi smiled as he knelt down to Polterpup's eye level as he answered, "I've decided to name him...Spettro! That's ghost in Italian."

Spettro licked Luigi's face, loving his new name. Luigi laughed. Even though he and Elvin were worried about Mario but they knew that they were ready for anything to come their way.

* * *

 _Nightmare Valley, Spectral Ridge_

 **Mario's POV** _ **  
**_

 _My heart was beating at fast pace. Standing there, right in front of me...was me. Or, I think it was me... His name was Red Inferno...right? He looked just like me but his appearance was a lot like Mr. L's. He was wearing dark clothes, but unlike Mr. L he has black overalls, a black undershirt, dark brown shoes, a eye mask that made his eyes appear white, dark gloves, his hat was darker and a trademark M on it but with a black covering instead of white. It couldn't be who I thought it was...could it?_

 _Red Inferno looked over at Mr. L and asked,_ _ **"W-what's he doing here?"**_

 _Mr. L answered,_ _ **"Sir-jumps-a-lot? He doesn't mean you any harm, weakling-brother-of-mine."**_

 _"Weakling brother of yours," I blurted out, my jaw hitting the ground, "Do you mean to tell me that he IS me?!"_

 _Mr. L stated,_ _ **"In a way of saying. Weakling-brother-of-mine is a lot like junior, timid and scared all of the time. But when I'm in a pinch, he comes to my rescue."**_

 _Mr. M replied,_ _ **"A-are you sure he's not an illusion, brother?"**_

 _As Mr. L nodded, I decided to start asking questions._

 _"Okay, what's going on here," I questioned Mr. L._

 _Mr. L answered,_ _ **"Out of the loop yet again I see, sir-jumps-a-lot. You see, during the Chaos Heart incident, Dimentio - may he rest in peace until I get the real world and smash his face for betraying the count and using me - when he captured you, he wanted to see if you could join his cause without fight. Thus, he created my brother here. But when Dimentio saw that Mr. M was a lot like junior, he scrapped the idea and sent Mr. M here to Spectral Ridge. When I arrived here, I found him - barely alive and scared. Ever since then, we've stuck together. And he's going with us to where The Porthole of Light is."**_

 _Mr. M perked up at this and asked,_ _ **"We're getting out of here?"**_

 _"Hopefully," I answered, making a fist._

 _Dimentio was SO lucky that he was dead..._

 _Mr. L looked at me as he asked,_ _ **"You okay, sir-jumps-a-lot?"**_

 _"No, I want to ring Dimentio's neck for doing that to me," I answered, getting mad._

 _Mr. M questioned,_ _ **"D-doing what? Showing your true side? That you are just like your brother? Weak? Helpless? Scared?"  
**_ _  
"I am not," I defended._

 _Mr. L stated,_ _**"I don't know about that, sir-jumps-a-lot. You and junior have been through a lot. I have most of junior's memories. I know what happened to your parents and what happened with Isle Defino."**_

 _"Wait, what happened with Luigi," I asked, now getting worried._

 _Mr. M started to answer,_ _ **"I believe bro said something that he was..."**_

 _Mr. L interrupted,_ _ **"Look weakling-brother-of-mine, let's drop it."  
**_ _  
"Your just as sensitive as he is," I hissed at Mr. L, getting annoyed with his short answers._

 _Mr. L hissed right back,_ _**"Listen here, sir-jumps-a-lot, there is a feature that you keep forgetting! I AM HIM. You never saw those creepy-ghosts-with-even-creepier-smirks show you the shadow of you hanging yourself!"**_

 _"W-what," I stammered, stumbling back, in shock._

 _Mr. M stated,_ _ **"I don't think Luigi told him that..."**_

 _Mr. L was near tears almost, which surprised me. He rarely cried...like me... This was the way Luigi wanted to be...like me... And deep down...I wanted to be like Luigi because he could freely show his emotions..._

 _The Green Thunder replied,_ _**"There was a reason that junior didn't tell you that. Because he didn't want you to know that he was considering it WAY before I created."**_

* * *

 _AK1028: Whoa! Things are picking up and I have to say, this was the darkest thing I've ever wrote for a Mario's story and I loved it! It needed to be told to Mario and if anyone of you played Luigi's Mansion, there was a glitch in the game where you saw Luigi's shadow on the wall during the blackout in the Telephone Room. The glitch returns again in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon where you go up the elevator in the Secret Mine with Toad in the first mission. Anyways, tell me what you think! Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	11. Chapter 11

Peach was sound asleep in her room, having nothing but nightmares ever since Melody had told them what had happened during the first mansion incident. She sat up in her rather large bed, which was covered in pink sheets, in a cold sweat. She was glad that Toadsworth wasn't there to pester her about it. Anyways, Peach slid off her pink blankets, revealing the pink silk nightgown she was wearing. Her long blonde hair was in a bit of knots from the tossing and turning that she was doing.

Her crown rested upon her nightstand with a picture of her, Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Blue, Yellow, and Yoshi when they had their last party together. She sighed. She was really worried about Mario. Ever since the Isle Defino incident, the two were an unofficial couple. They couldn't make it official cause it seemed the minute that they tried, something came up. She was also thinking about what Melody had told them. She picked up the picture on the nightstand and looked right at Luigi.

He was posing with two victory signs and smiling. Mario, on the other hand, was posing with a thumb up, smiling as well. She couldn't believe that even though the two of them were twins, they were that much different. Mario was more closed in on his feelings, Peach rarely saw him cry. Luigi, however, was very sensitive and usually cried about anything that upset him. While everyone thought this was rather annoying characteristic, Peach was drawn towards it. But Peach's feelings were that of an older sister.

She remembered that during the Chaos Heart incident, she would want to kiss Mario and hug Luigi. Peach sighed, putting the picture down on the nightstand.

"Please stay safe, Luigi," Peach whispered, in the dark, almost in tears. "Please stay safe...brother..."

* * *

 _Nightmare Valley, Spectral Ridge_

 **Mario's POV**

 _I stood there in shock from after what Mr. L had told me. I knew Luigi had a tough time with the first mansion incident but I didn't think that the Boos tortured him as well. Mr. M looked shyly at his brother, looking between the two of us._

 _Mr. M commented,_ _**"Bro, I think you made your point. We should get going."**_

 _Mr. L stated,_ _ **"Weakling-brother-of-mine, do not change the subject. Sir-jumps-a-lot has the right to know what those creepy-ghost-with-even-creepier-smirks did to junior. And what he did as well."**_  
 _  
"What are you talking about," I hissed, getting madder by the second._  
 _  
Mr. L replied,_ _ **"Remember when you asked me what happened to junior when you went with pretty-princess-in-pink and old-toad-that-needs-to-back-off-on-her to island-that-thought-you-were-a-criminal-even-though-you-had-just-arrived? Well, let's just put it this way, sir-jumps-a-lot, you almost had sliced junior on the floor of your home."**_

 _"Wait, what," I asked, blinking in total surprise._

 _Mr. M replied, softly,_ _ **"He almost killed himself..."**_

 _"N-no! Your lying," I blurted out, taking a shocked step backwards._

 _Mr. L responded, looking straight at me,_ _ **"Why would I lie to you, sir-jumps-a-lot, when you know I speak the truth?"**_

 _Mr. M nodded in agreement and added,_ _ **"I am too..."**_

 _I couldn't believe these two! Okay, the evil me I believe since I didn't know him that well and he was almost like Luigi in a sense. But Mr. L...him I knew TOO well._

 _"I refuse to believe that my brother almost killed himself," I hissed, specifically to Mr. L._

 _Mr. L hissed,_ _ **"Come on, you are really going to take my reputation into this? I wasn't even real when this happened! I found out the hard way...after almost losing my brother..."**_

 _At that moment, Mr. L looked down out of spite. Mr. M placed his hand on Mr. L's shoulder._

 _He said, softly,_ _ **"I'm sorry, bro. But that's what I thought. I thought you didn't need me anymore since you left me behind..."**_

 _My heart stopped cold. Wait a minute. Mr. M was a lot like Luigi but he was a lot like me. Did that mean that Luigi was considering suicide? But that couldn't be right, right...? King Boo's words echoed through my head._

 _"Oh come now, red cap. You know I'm right. You think Luigi is a poor excuse for a human. Why else would you leave him behind constantly? It is because you are embarrassed to be around a failure and the worst part is - he is your younger twin brother."_

 _"N-no, no, no, no," I said, grabbing my head with both of my hands._

 _I couldn't believe it, I just couldn't! There was no way that Luigi would almost give in like that..._

 _Mr. L hissed,_ _ **"It's just like creepy-leader-of-the-Boos said, 'Everyone knows what you think of your own DNA.' You think he's weak and pathetic. News flash, I-think-I'm-mightier-than-anyone-I-have-come-acrossed, you are the same way."**_

 _Mr. M added,_ _ **"Like me."**_

 _I collapsed to my knees. They were right, as much as I hated to admit it. I always left Luigi out but yet, he was always there for me, whenever I needed him. And he wouldn't hold grudges, he would be my number one fan. It was just like how I thought during the mansion incident and the Dark Moon incident. It was the same conclusion. I didn't deserve Luigi as my twin._

* * *

Luigi paced back and forth as Spettro and Elvin watched. They were looking at the green clad ghost hunter with worry.

Elvin commented, "Stop pacing, my boy. Mario will be fine."

Luigi stated, "I know, I know. I just wanna make sure that I'm doing the right thing. Mario's fate is in my hands again and I want to make sure that I make him proud of me, you know?"

"He's always proud of you, Luigi," Elvin replied, with a smile.

The ghost researcher couldn't believe how much Luigi looked up to Mario. Spettro went over to his master and licked Luigi's face, making the green clad ghost hunter smile.

"Thank you, both of you. But I don't think Malleo should always be proud of me," Luigi responded, looking at his hands, making his fingers wiggle slowly.

There were obvious tears in his eyes, almost as if he was hiding one more secret. Spettro whined a little, sitting at the feet of his master and friend. Elvin looked at Luigi and went over to him, placing his hand on Luigi's right hand.

Elvin asked, slowly, "My boy, is there something that you aren't telling me?"

Luigi stammered, "W-what makes you say that...?"

Elvin was about to answer when they noticed that dawn was almost upon them...

* * *

 _Nightmare Valley, Spectral Ridge_

 **Mario's POV**

 _I didn't have time to talk to Mr. L or Mr. M after what my breakthrough that I didn't deserve Luigi as my twin for we saw sun rays coming from the east._

 _Mr. L stated, **"It's almost dawn, we better get the prisoners out of here."**_

 _Mr. M replied, **"I'll go get them bro and meet you at the Dark Woods."**_

 _With that, Mr. M left as Mr. L came over to me. I finally got off of my knees and stood up._

 _"We better get to where The Porthole of Light is," I commented, not wanting to waste time._

 _Mr. L stated, **"That would be wise, sir-jumps-a-lot."**_

 _In that instant, I got the fact that Mr. L was a bit more hostile towards me. I didn't blame him, I deserved it in a way. I was sure that I made my father disappointed in me. I didn't deserve to be named after such a man as my father..._

 _"Let's go," I replied, making my responses as short as his._

 _Mr. L and I started our trip through Spectral Ridge and found ourselves face-to-face with The Porthole of Light and Dark Woods. Mr. M soon arrived...but he was alone._

 _He yelped, **"Bro! Bro! It's a trap!"**_

 _Mr. L hissed, **"What?!"**_

 _At those words, Mr. M and I were trapped in cage as Mr. L stood outside of it, in pure shock._

 _"Hey, what's going on here," I demanded._

 _King Boo appeared and stated, "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? I wasn't about to let you go, red cap. We have so much torture time left."_

 _Mr. L activated his green electricity and replied, **"I think you forgot one factor, creepy-leader-of-the-Boos. You forgot me! Now let them go!"**_

 _Mr. M added, **"Y-yeah, get us out of here!"**_

 _King Boo responded, "Oh, I'm not letting you two out at all. You are going to stay here while Mr. L goes into the real world and kills certain factors for me so I can go into the real world without a problem."_

 _Mr. L hissed, **"I rather work with Dimentio again than with you."**_

 _King Boo threatened, "Then I guess you don't care what happens to your brother then!"_

 _As soon as he said that, the blue gem on his crown started to glow as Mr. M cowarded into me. I grabbed onto him (finding that it was weird that I was literally holding myself). I knew Mr. L wouldn't give into King Boo so easily but the way his face twisted like that, I knew that he wasn't going to hang on much longer._

 _Finally; he said, **"You have a deal. Now get away from my brother!"**_

 _King Boo replied, "I hate to be the one to tell you this but the admission fee is one brother!"_

 _Mr. L hissed, **"You wouldn't dare!"**_

 _True to his word, King Boo started to focus on Mr. M again._

 _"NO," I screamed._

 _Just as Mr. M braced for the worst and I activated my fire powers, I heard a voice yell:_

 _"STAY AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!"_

 _I looked up and saw that the gem on King Boo's crown was gone. I turned and saw a shadow in the distance. King Boo must've saw who it was and smirked darkly._

 _King Boo stated, "So you made it to the party after all. Very impressive but you are too late! The world and the kingdom will be mine!"_

 _The person held up the blue gem to his face and that's when I saw who it was. It was none other than Luigi, looking furious and scared. I couldn't believe it. He came to save me...again...even after I was such a jerk..._

* * *

 _AK1028: Wow, we are getting to the escalating point here, don't you think? I know we are! So let me know what you think! Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Nightmare Valley, Dark Woods_

 **Mario's POV**

 _Luigi was holding the blue gem in his hand and boy did King Boo look mad. I couldn't believe that Luigi took King Boo's gem like that. I also couldn't believe that he came to save me - with Daisy and Polterpup. Mr. L and Mr. M looked surprised as I did._

 _King Boo threatened, "Give that gem back, green cap. Or your friends and your brother will pay the price."_

 _Luigi stated, his knees knocking in fear, "I'm n-not going to give this back to you."_

 _King Boo replied, "You will or your brother will pay the price!"_

 _Luigi pointed out, "Y-you can't do anything without your gem!"_

 _While King Boo was distracted by Luigi, Daisy let Mr. M and me out of our cage. Mr. L got his green electricity going as he ran over to Luigi and used a punch to knock King Boo away from Luigi. King Boo's scream was painful and scary. I ran over to Luigi, activating my red fire. Mr. M as Polterpup ran over with us. I threw some fire balls at King Boo as Mr. M copied me. Luigi activated his green electricity and used a green ball of electricity. He fired it straight at King Boo, who made the attack go right through him._

 _"We can't let him go through The Porthole of Light," I stated. "We can't let that ghost terrorize our world!"_

 _Mr. M asked,_ _ **"So what do we do, little bro?"**_

 _Mr. L answered,_ _ **"Weakling-brother-of-mine and I will hold him off while you get out of here."**_

 _Luigi questioned, surprised, "What?!"_

 _Mr. M stated,_ _ **"You must go before he gets to your world!"**_

 _"They are both right, Weegie. We have to get out of here," I pointed out._

 _Mr. L added,_ _ **"And the next time we meet, it will be the end for you, sir-jumps-a-lot."**_

 _Luigi replied strongly, "Not on my watch. I will protect Malleo."_

 _The Green Thunder seemed to have smiled as we headed for the porthole. King Boo screeched as we headed back into our world. I seriously hoped that Mr. L and Mr. M could handle..._

* * *

"Mario."

"Malleo?"

"MARIO!"

The older Manfredi twin finally opened his eyes and saw Luigi, Spettro, and Elvin.

Luigi smiled and said, "Glad to see you, Malleo."

Mario stated, "Same here, Weegie."

Spettro howled happily as Elvin started to laugh. It was going to be interesting from here on in...

* * *

The very next morning, Mario (who actually had a good night's sleep for the first time in awhile) was up first. He rubbed his eyes and saw that he was on the couch of his baby bro's house. Mario decided to stay over with Luigi and Spettro. Elvin headed back to Evershade Valley, glad that Mario was okay. The Manfredi twins knew that they had to go into town today to make sure that Blue and Yellow had returned with Peach successfully.

Mario sat up from the couch, his mind all over the place. He was still feeling pretty low from the way he was treating Luigi and Mr. L's words still echoed in his mind.

 _ **"Remember when you asked me what happened to junior when you went with pretty-princess-in-pink and old-toad-that-needs-to-back-off-on-her to island-that-thought-you-were-a-criminal-even-though-you-had-just-arrived? Well, let's just put it this way, sir-jumps-a-lot, you almost had sliced junior on the floor of your home."**_

 _'No, it couldn't be true,'_ Mario thought, _'Luigi couldn't have been thinking of suicide. He's too strong for that, right?'_ Before Mario could do a search around the house, the phone started to ring. He answered it, rather quickly.

Mario answered, "Hello, Luigi Manfredi's house, Mario speaking."

Peach was on the other side and gushed, "Mario! Thank heavens your okay!"

Mario stated, "Yeah, I'm fine. Luigi, Elvin, and Spettro saved me last night. I hope you are calling from home."

Peach replied, "I am. Blue and Yellow did an excellent job rescuing me."

Mario smiled as he replied, "That's great. We were going to go into town today to make sure you were alright."

Peach giggled and commented, "I'm fine, sweetie. Safe and sound for now and I'm glad that it is the same way for you, Mario Gregory Manfredi Junior."

Mario sighed and stated, "I really don't think I'm worthy of my father's name right now, hun."

Peach perked up as she asked, "Wait, why not?"

"Yeah, why not?"

Mario looked up and saw Luigi standing there, looking rather surprised. And there was nothing but silence between them for the longest time, getting Peach worried.

* * *

Luigi and Mario were sitting together on a park bench that afternoon.

Mario looked at Luigi as he asked, "Are you okay, bro?"

Luigi shook his head and answered, "No. I've always wanted to be like you - to be a hero and have everyone know my name."

Mario smiled as he stated, "That's weird. I've always wanted to be like you - to just be who I am and not care about who was watching my every move."

Luigi asked, "Really?"

Mario nodded and answered, "Really."

Luigi sighed as he stated, "But it seems that every time I try... It always winds up the same."

Mario confessed, "The same with me. It seems that every time I try, I always stay in the same groove."

Luigi looked at Mario, tears in his eyes. He couldn't believe what Mario was telling him. Mario smiled softly as he had some tears in his eyes. It was oblivious that he wanted to say this for the longest time. It was like a confession that needed to be heard.

Luigi told his older brother, "I want to be like you, to be unafraid and face danger without regret."

Mario smiled as he wiped away his younger brothers tears and responded, "I want to be like you, to just be afraid and say that I can't do this alone."

Luigi trembled and confessed, "But I can't be you - I never could and that doesn't make me upset."

Mario couldn't believe what he was hearing. Luigi had no regrets in being himself. Mario really admired him for that and it was oblivious that Luigi really admired the red clad plumber. It was oblivious that Mario was the green clad ghost hunter's hero. _'Truth is, he's my hero,'_ Mario thought as he knew that it was time that he said that needed to be said.

He finally said, "But I can't be you, I accept that but sometimes I wish people didn't think you were my clone."

Luigi looked surprised as Mario shed a single tear. The green clad ghost hunter wiped it away as Mario looked at his baby brother.

The green clad ghost hunter asked, "Are you okay, Malleo?"

The red clad plumber answered, "Truth is, Weegie, I don't think I'm worthy to be your twin. You have a heart of gold, your sweet, your kind, and most of all - your forgiving. I can't believe that I have been so blind to see that you can handle yourself and for that, I deeply apologize. From now on, I want us to stick together as a team and become known as the Super Manfredi Brothers."

Luigi looked at Mario, who was on the verge of tears. Luigi couldn't believe what he just heard and he loved the idea of working with Mario from here on in but...

Luigi stated, "Malleo... I wanna work with you more than anything and we will when we are needed to help Peach. However, there's something I should say first. Even though I'll be the protector of Evershade Valley and you the protector of Mushroom Kingdom, you have to know one thing. You'll always be worthy to be my twin. So what if we had a bumpy start with the way we handled our first adventures? What is important right now is that we stick together."

Mario replied, tearing, "You got it, Weegie. You got it."

And Mario was true to his word. From that day forward, Mario and Luigi became the best team that was ever known. Nothing could stop - what they were soon to be known - as the Super Manfredi Brothers.

* * *

 _AK1028: Well guys, that ends the story! Hope you guys enjoyed! Please read and review! And always think of the_ _box!_


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